Best Jobs for Career Changers
Changing careers doesn’t have the stigma it used to carry. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, these days, the average person spends about four years with one employer before moving on.
When you’re changing career paths, finding a job where you can excel is about being able to utilize your transferable skills. It’s about showing employers how your transferable skills make you uniquely qualified. Fortunately, there are many jobs available that are performed best by people with diverse employment backgrounds. In this post, we’ll be walking through the best career change options to look into for the new year.
Career Change Option: Market Research
Market research analysts are responsible for interpreting data to help people make informed decisions. They’re often used to attract or maintain customers, which inherently becomes a team effort as it involves overlap with multiple departments.
Among many types of second-career jobs in demand, there will always be a need for marketing specialists. Many industries rely on market research analysts, but few so heavily as the insurance industry, which is always in need of new insight.
Market research analysts have a median salary of $51,053. About half of market research analysts have a bachelor’s degree, while nearly a quarter have a master’s degree. Effective writing, clerical skills, and reading comprehension are critical to the profession. Analysts also benefit from a background in business, marketing, sales, or customer service.
Career Change Option: Social Media Specialist
Social media has become an integral part of life for millions of people. It has become just as essential for virtually every business. Social media specialists might write and develop content, help maintain public image, develop outreach, track performance metrics, and participate in market research, which makes it a great career change option.
This job combines a need for effective written communication with basic customer service ability and analytical skills. And relying on those types of transferable skills is why social media specialist is among the best easy career changes that pay well.
Having a robust educational background is not always necessary, though most social media specialists have a bachelor’s degree or greater. Social media specialists earn a median annual salary of $41,532. Virtually every industry takes advantage of social media, which includes many promising opportunities in the insurance industry.
Career Change Option: Actuary
Another second career job in demand is an actuary. An actuary uses statistics to determine the probability of loss. This allows businesses to quantify risk, which makes an actuary in constant demand for many industries.
Having a strong background in mathematics is at the core of the profession, with advanced calculus and linear algebra being the bare minimum for entry. Learning more advanced math allows for higher pay. And it’s not entirely about numbers, an actuary needs analytical skills and a firm understanding of human psychology.
Most actuaries have at least a bachelor’s degree. But it’s actuarial exams that determine if you can become an actuary, not your degree. An actuary may come from a background in physics, engineering, or even the arts.
Having these types of diverse backgrounds can be beneficial because there are many specialized actuarial careers, including many in the insurance industry. Being highly sought after, the median salary for an actuary is $86,253.
Why Make a Career Change Into the Insurance Industry?
The best career change jobs can usually offer three things. Job security, a positive outlook for growth, and the ability to allow people with transferable skills excel.
Fast-growing industry
Employment in the insurance industry has been steadily growing over the past three decades, which is only projected to continue. Experts forecast the global insurance industry will expand around 4.5% in 2018 alone.
Job security
Historically, the US economy has entered a recession about every five years. When the economy goes up and down, jobs are created and destroyed. If you’re looking for career change ideas, it’s important to remember that rain or shine, there are some things people always need. Regardless of how the economy is doing, the insurance industry offers job security because people always need insurance.
Successful employees come from different job backgrounds
Career changers interested in making a job change to insurance will find the industry very welcoming. The insurance industry is a big tent, which requires a diverse range of talent to be successful. From social media fanatics and math wizards, to graphic designers and customer service experts, being able to utilize your own unique abilities is what can help someone thrive in the insurance industry.
Want More Second Career Ideas?
Changing careers is a big step, and you want any big step to be in the right direction. To be certain you’re making the right decision, it’s worth considering some of the signs you should change jobs, so you can be fully prepared to execute your plan successfully.
And if you’re looking at career change options and aren’t certain what direction to take, consider trying MyPath’s Career Wizard Quiz to see if you can find more second job ideas or a career path in insurance that’s suitable for your unique talents.